Diary of Charles Francis Adams, volume 8
1839-01-29
Fine day. Distribution as usual. Evening Mr. R. Robbins.
I occupied my morning in returning my answer to Mr. Downing1 and other work remaining on hand at Office, which with a country man applying for the Weston farm took up my time. Call in at Warren’s and buy coins at an exorbitant price.2
Electra. The time after dinner spent in reading the Quarterly, but I am bitterly sensible of my misuse of time. A visit this morning from Dr. Kirkland ostensibly to inquire about a copy of my father’s letter to Baltimore, for Mrs. Cabot.3 He is a very wreck and it is melancholy to look upon him when put to so base a use by intriguing women, for I cannot help connecting in my mind his visit with the rumor of last evening. And here again is human nature! Evening, a visit from R. Robbins who talked more sensibly.
Missing.
Perhaps John Warren, “conchologist,” at 186 Tremont Street (
Boston Directory, 1839), also dealt in coins. CFA, recording later visits, calls him “old Warren, the coin collector” and “the virtuoso” (see entries for 9 July, 4 Dec., 11 Jan. 1840, below). Warren did not become a principal supplier for CFA’s collection (MHS, Procs.
, 86 [1974]:7).
Dr. John Thornton Kirkland, former president of Harvard, had, in his retirement, married Elizabeth Cabot, daughter of Mrs. George Cabot (vols. 2:226; 4:395).